Before Julie left for the U.S., we went on a jetboat ride! New Zealand is the country where the jet boat was invented (no external propeller-- it has an internal propeller (impeller) to provide proplusion. a jet boat can ride on 2 inches of water! Water is drawn in through an intake in the bottom of the boat, then driven out through a nozzle at the rear with great force (see the pic of this unique engine). By turning the nozzle the boat also changes direction. The boat can brake and reverse using reverse buckets. On Shotover Jet Boats, this happens in tandem, as there are two engines and two jet units. Do not confus this type of jetboat with the ones we have in the U.S.--- these are very different. These boats ride on shallow riverbeds and through narrow river gorges. It is a ride that you will not forget!
Our Shotover Jet boat ride was awesome! When the boat came what seemed-like inches from Bob's head (he was on the outside), I closed my eyes. It was scary and fun at the same time. Doing a 360 got us wet!
When we were in Mt. Cook/Lake Tekapo area riding the bus to Mt. Cook, the bus driver pointed out a farm house off in the distance. It was high on a hill, near a stream. The driver told us this story: the farmer who owned this house had his cattle/sheep grazing areas downhill of his house with mountains behind. To check his stock and his fences, he had to go downhill. This was back in the 1950s. No roads were accessible to the grazing area--- too steep. Getting back uphill was an issue for him after a long day of work. So, he started thinking about the river as a means of transport. If only he could get UP the river. Yup, he's the inventor of the jet boats used today to scare the hibbie-jibbies out of tourists!
No comments:
Post a Comment